Another Imagining - Sidestories
by Mickey Seraphin
Summary: A series of companion oneshots to the world of Another Imagining. Extra 6 - Fairy Tail is the greatest and craziest guild of all, and Lucy is very excited to show it off to her cousin Michelle when she comes to visit. However, the response to the beautiful and charming guest is one the Celestial Wizard could never foresee, not even from this wacky bunch.
1. Extra 1

_So with the alternate branch of the Fairy Tail world I've created in Another Imagining, there were a lot of fun little omake-type moments that even though there wasn't much of a place in the main story, I thought deserved to be written out. The solution? Sidestories! With the progress I've made with my fic, I feel it's appropriate. So, if you've taken to my rendition, then I hope you enjoy these accompanying oneshots. If you're not familiar with my rendition of the series, but still intrigued with the subject matter at hand of each chapter (the summary on the front page will change accordingly for every new edition), no worries, because you're invited along too. _

_Since they're my favorite pairing, the first in our series of extras is a fluffy Natsu/Lisanna piece. In my continuity, this would take place right before Natsu's fight with Erza in Chapter 8. What were they up to the day leading to the big showdown? Let's find out!_

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><p><strong>Extra 1<br>- Don't Think. Feel! -**

The day after Lucy had accompanied the team of Natsu, Happy, Lisanna, Mirajane, and Elfman to defeat the Dark Guild Eisenwald, she cheerfully walked into the guild hall. She was already familiar with the first floor's layout after just three days as a member of Fairy Tail, and could distinguish a good portion of her fellow wizarding mates. One of the friendlier faces signaled her over to the bar as soon as she was spotted, moving aside a large barrel of alcohol to make room for the blonde girl.

"So what's on the agenda for today, Lucy?" Cana asked with a grin, running a finger along the barrel's side. "Whatever ass-kickings of justice you're planning on dishing out, you better make sure you're back by tomorrow."

Lucy blushed slightly. No thanks to the embellishing constitution of a certain flying cat, a reputation had already spread throughout the guild to paint her as some kind of infallible shining hero. Her efforts to try sort out the truth to the others only added 'modest' to the growing list of reasons to admire the Celestial Wizard. "So that's when Erza agreed to have the fight?"

"Well, it's definitely not happening today," the brunette shrugged. "When Natsu got in her face about it earlier, she nearly punched those pointy teeth of his down his throat. It's not a lock, but there's a really good chance she'll take him up on it tomorrow."

Lucy looked out across the hall, catching sight of Natsu staring daggers at Erza a few tables over. The redhead was oblivious to his glowering in the reverie of her cheesecake, while Lisanna and Happy fruitlessly tried to keep the boy distracted with conversation. "It's the weirdest thing," she commented, speaking of the two childhood friends. "Any other guy would love to have a girl as sweet and pretty as Lisanna around him all the time, but the only thing Natsu seems to be interested in is trying to find someone to fight with."

"That kid's totally clueless," Cana smirked. She knew Lucy didn't need this proven after the adventures they'd been on together, but still, she thought inciting an example would be fun. "Check this out," she winked, leaving the bar and striding over to the trio's table, Lucy a step behind as she followed her lead. "So, you two," the brunette coyly addressed Natsu and Lisanna, breaking his gaze away from Erza, "when are you gonna make it _offish_?"

The pink-haired young man blinked at her. "Huh? A fish?" he thought he was repeating, completely misunderstanding that Cana had simply played with the word 'official'. "Um, you wanna take this one, Happy?"

Lisanna sighed, while the blue feline got a twinkle in his eyes as he caught on. "Are you talking about Lisanna's Fish Take Over?" he inquired innocently. "I never knew how a soul could tear in conflict until I saw that transformation."

"Cana," the youngest of the Strauss siblings chided playfully, "don't tease the poor boy. You know he doesn't get stuff like that; it just goes over his head."

"Hey!" Natsu shouted defensively at his human best friend. "First of all, _you_ tease me all the time! In fact you did it just now, which leads me to my second point! I get stuff! Maybe not in this particular instance, but I get stuff!"

He growled at the dubious way the three girls giggled at his claim, just on the verge of bursting in full-out laughter. Even Happy was stifling his reaction, using his paws to cover up a huge grin. The mockery combined with his already being on-edge over his fight's delay, and Natsu shouted at the ceiling that they were all jerks amidst a jet of flames searing from his mouth, before marching out of the building in a smoking huff.

"He's okay, right?" Lucy asked, worried that they might've pushed him a little too far. At least he hadn't unleashed his frustrations by sparking a brawl with the other members. Erza and Gray were in the vicinity, so the fact that he'd avoided them on his way out was probably a good sign of restraint.

"He'll be fine," Lisanna said, even though guilt dotted her smile.

"We should probably go after him," Happy suggested to her, his ulterior motives easy to read through his smirking. "You know how he is when he gets mad. We don't want him getting into any trouble, do we?"

Cana nodded in support, Lucy joining a second later. Lisanna shook her head at the corner she was backed into, but submitted to their little game as she rose from her table. With Happy hovering at her shoulders, she began on her way out of the guild, catching the cheeky grins Mira and Makarov aimed at her, sitting together at the bar. Elfman was giving her a frown with his massive arms crossed from his post at the request board, but did nothing to keep his little sister.

"You guys don't have to sucker me like that to get me alone with Natsu," she quietly reneged to Happy as they exited through the doors. "And really, wouldn't this work a lot better if you didn't come along?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he feigned ignorance. "I just wanna make sure my best pal doesn't do anything stupid."

Since he didn't have much of a lead, it didn't take long before they caught up to Natsu, powerwalking a familiar course through Magnolia. He eyed them grumpily after they called out to them, but his visage softened as he slowed to let them take his side. No words, no accusations or explanations, just an exchange of smiles as they continued to their favorite destination.

A few minutes later they were outside of the city, hiking through the East Forest, aiming to reach the cliff clearing that always provided a gorgeous view of the sunset. That wouldn't be for many more hours, but they had nothing else to do for the rest of the day. Might as well wait it out at their private home away from home.

The Dragon Slayer enjoyed the calm sounds of nature as they ventured in deeper. Being fed up with their antagonizing, he and Elfman had dealt with the Gorians some time ago, ensuring they'd never pop out of their holes to give them any more trouble. Now they could relax as they strolled on, allowing him to catch an unrecognizable but distinctly-special ruffling of feathers. "Hey, Lisanna," he motioned with his head after spotting the streaking white flash.

She followed his gaze, her sights falling on a glorious snow-white hawk. Her face lit up as the avian majestically spread her wings to perch on a high branch, surveying the field below for her next meal. "She's beautiful," she breathed, stepping off the trail to come up to her tree.

Natsu watched Lisanna as she held her forearm out for the hawk to land on. It always scared him initially, whenever she'd encourage a bird over to her. He didn't want to see razor-sharp talons anywhere near her porcelain skin, but over the years he'd learned to trust her relationship with animals. They'd never hurt her, just as she'd never hurt them.

Lisanna wordlessly communicated with the raptor, peering into her fierce eyes with her own gentle ones. With her consent, she placed a glowing hand on the back of her neck. Her soul laid open to the girl, she Took Over the hawk, absorbing a piece of her into herself. When the process was finished, she stroked her plumage with a gracious smile, before letting her flap back up to her lookout.

She rejoined Natsu and Happy on the path, and the pink-haired boy couldn't help but smile at her elation.

He was the first to come up to the little hut that had withstood nature's whims for the past six years. Abiding by custom, he allowed Lisanna to crawl into the straw structure she'd built, Happy trotting in next to settle to her right. The Dragon Slayer was the last one in, greeted by a precious expression from the lovely young lady. "Welcome back, Dear," she smiled.

"Hi, Honey," he whined playfully. The embarrassment of their childhood ritual had never worn away, and only increased when he noticed Happy's gleaming eyes at the back-and-forth starting a few years back. Still, he didn't mind having to endure it when she gave him that look. "I'm home."

He leaned against the unprecedented sturdiness of the hut, to the girl's left to leave her in the middle. As time went on and the two grew from preteens to the earliest stages of adulthood, their little hideaway had become much more cramped. Their frames filling out took up considerable space, and yet, they found it no less cozy, comforting and inviting to them as the day it was first established.

Lisanna warmly linked their arms together, the red marks of the guild they loved and took so much pride in appearing like matching tattoos next to each other. It was for this reason that even as Happy varied who he sat beside, she and Natsu never changed how they lined up within the hut.

"I'm sorry for what I said back there," she said, tucking in her legs. "I know have your clever moments every now and again."

"That's right," Natsu responded with a smug grin. "Besides," he continued a second later, his voice taking on a softness reserved only for her, "what do I need to be super-smart for, anyway? That's why I've got you and Happy."

"Aye," he agreed, nodding at the praise he felt was well-deserved and quite overdo.

Lisanna giggled as she scratched behind Happy's ears, the cat beginning to purr absently at her massage. "What would you do without us?" she asked, keeping her eyes on Natsu. Her head was slightly tilted to the side, the tiniest, cutest little gesture that made his breathing catch in his fiery dragon's lungs, and caused his words to stumble ineloquently off of his naive boy's tongue.

"What would _you_ do without me?" he tried countering, but he knew he'd lost the round.

"Well, since I'm always having to keep you from running around making things difficult," she began teasingly, putting a fingertip on her chin, "I'd probably have a lot of spare time on my hands. I could go and get a boyfriend or something."

Natsu's olive skin paled. "Get a... boyfriend?" he echoed, choking out the last word. His face filled with heartbreak at the thought, and his arm went limp around hers.

The girl was immediately swept with regret over her reply. "Oh," she whispered apologetically, tightening their connection to make up for his slack. "I was just kidding. It was a really stupid joke. I don't want a boyfriend."

The fact that she didn't sound pleading convinced him she was being honest, not just backpedaling. Even so, the jest had hurt him down to his very core. Never did Natsu ever envision Lisanna with someone else. When the concept was proposed by some of his guildmates once before, he made sure that discussion was never to be brought to his ears again. After knocking out the whole lot of them for it, he had only needed to see her, sighing with a smile at the carnage, to be set at peace.

Hearing it come from her own lips, however, struck him with a pain he could only compare to one thing. Not the beatings he'd received from Erza, Mira, Laxus, and Gildarts, after he challenged them with his fist already reared back; they didn't even register. Not the near-fatal blow he'd taken against The Beast while shielding Lisanna; there was still another atmosphere between them there. No, just imagining that scenario felt most like the desolate sense of loss after Igneel disappeared. There would be a pitch-dark vacancy in his heart if that ever came to pass.

It took him a second before he reminded himself she was still right there, beside him. With him. And there was no way he was going to let her go so easily.

"I don't think there's a guy in the entire world that would wanna be your boyfriend," he said quietly. Out of context, that could've been a very hurtful comment itself, but seeing his gentle smile, and feeling his arm reciprocate again, Lisanna knew he meant no such sentiment. "With Mira and Elfman as your family, no one would even dare trying to brave it. Not unless they were totally dense, and stuff like that went over their heads."

The white-haired girl beamed at him as she leaned in closer. "Don't forget," she said with a wink, "I have more family, too. I don't think the son of a dragon and a ferocious blue cat would be any more forgiving than Mira and Big Brother Elf."

It was rare that Happy enjoyed his presence being ignored. Sometimes, even though he was being spoken of or indirectly replied to, it was still like he wasn't there at all, and normally it was his biggest pet peeve. Moments like this, between his best friends, the boy and the girl that had hatched him together, actually made him appreciative of the arrangement. He was the only one that got to see the two snuggled up and as relatively vulnerable as they allowed themselves to be, and that made his invisibility worthwhile.

Natsu looked up at the ceiling of the hut with a dreamy smile, wholly assuaged of the fear that someday she would depart from his side, as he stared out at the cheery blue sky through the small opening left at the apex of the dome. "Igneel's gonna love you guys."

"I can't wait to meet him," Lisanna said with hushed excitement. Years of the boy cutely talking up his foster father had made her feel like she already knew the great Fire Dragon. She truly looked forward to the day the two would reunite, and she would be formally introduced.

"I wonder what he would think, about me already having a family," he grinned. "I can just imagine the look on his face when I'd tell him, 'Hey Igneel, guess what? You're a grandpa!'"

The three shared a laugh at the thought. Not long after, they shifted to lay on their backs, watching the small wisps of cloud roll through the hole above them. Eventually, in their special way without words, they decided that a nap was in order. For the rest of the afternoon, they slept peacefully on the crisp straw floor. It was the first time in a long while that they had done so, perhaps why Natsu felt his sore muscles from his battle the day before completely refreshed when he awoke.

Lisanna was still asleep, and he found that in their slumber, her hand had stirred into his. Their fingertips brushed together, and he remained completely still, despite his face feeling strangely hot.

Watching her for a moment, he was reminded of when Igneel had first taught him about angels. They were supposed to be radiant winged beings, glowing a transcendent white, but the dragon had scoffed at the notion. In all his years, he'd never encountered anything of the sort in the sky.

Natsu then added that to the list of tales he'd brag about to him, for he'd discovered an angel on the ground.

When he finally turned away from her, he noticed the sky was no longer blue, but rather a healthy orange. He sat up and poked the girl awake, Happy chained into regaining consciousness as well. Realizing the time, they crawled back outside to bid the sun a good night in its last few minutes.

"It's always going to be so amazing," Lisanna observed. Not just the sunset, but the instances that they were gathered in such warmth. It might not last forever, but the now was just beautiful.

"Yeah," Natsu agreed. There were many things that made him smile, but hers was his favorite.

"Aye," Happy rounded them out, discreetly looking at the two staring out at the horizon, looking over at one another every few seconds. They were always so happy to be together, and it made him even happier to think of the day their feelings would break free into another infinity.

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><p><em>And there we have our first Another Imagining Sidestory. This is my favorite pairing in Fairy Tail, and even if other NatsuLisanna shippers don't follow my main story, I'd hope that you still got to enjoy it as a standalone oneshot._

_But, the idea behind these Sidestories isn't just to proclaim my love for these two exclusively. More often than not, I probably won't give an outright description of the next chapter, but because the next one corresponds with this one, I will right now. The next chapter will feature a fun friendship tale of adventure and bonding between Lucy and Cana, and it actually begins right after we shift from their perspective in this edition. What did the two girls do after Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy left the guild? We'll catch that other side of the coin next time, so I hope to see you there!_

_Oh, and what kind of Mickey S. work would this be if I didn't ask for reviews at the end? I love hearing what you guys think, so if you take the time to review after reading, I'd much appreciate it!_


	2. Extra 2

_So here we are with the second installment of AI Sidestories. This go-round will place focus on Lucy and her budding friendship with Cana. I loved the chemistry between the two in canon's Tenrou Island arc, so I decided to introduce it much earlier for my world._

_Note that this chapter diverges right from Extra 1, so if you're thrown off by how it starts, reference the previous chapter's opening until it shifts viewpoints. Same as earlier, this takes place the day before Natsu's fight with Erza in AI's Chapter 8. How did these two lovely ladies pass the time? Let's find out!_

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><p><strong>Extra 2<br>- No Parallels -**

Lucy watched as Lisanna exited the guild hall with Happy flying beside her, wishing her the best. She didn't expect that the little "family" would come back any different, that the parental figures would have attained that new depth to their relationship, but hey, she wasn't going to write it off as an impossibility, either. Three days as a member of Fairy Tail had taught her anything was definitely possible.

"So, you didn't have anything you needed to do today, did you?" Cana asked as they started back to the bar. She eagerly resumed her affair with the large barrel of alcohol she had momentarily left to poke fun at Natsu. "I had a job in mind, and since you promised me that we'd go on one together..."

"Yeah, of course," Lucy nodded cheerfully. "What is it?"

Cana's smile in response was sheepish, which was strange to see from such a confident young woman. "Well, here's the thing," she began slowly. "This isn't a real, paying job. It's actually a favor for an old friend of mine. I know you haven't made any money yet since you joined the guild, even though you've been on all those crazy little adventures, so I totally get it if you wanna back out."

As unfortunate as that was to hear, Lucy shook her head brightly. "No way," she said, remaining optimistic. "It's no big deal, I'll still go. What's the favor?"

Cana didn't fill her in immediately with anything other than assuring her it was just an easy locating mission. Once she finished the barrel, she grabbed an unopened bottle for the road, and the two girls left the hall on their way. Cutting through Magnolia's center, this was when Lucy was informed of the details.

"I was just a little girl when my mom passed away and I first joined Fairy Tail. Master Makarov let me into the guild just as easily as he let you; I didn't even have to tell him that I came to be with my father," Cana explained, stopping suddenly in speech. She realized what she let slip, and continued quickly, not allowing Lucy to prod any more about her living parent. "Still, I didn't know any magic back then, and even if I had, who would entrust someone so young with a serious job?

"Without any way of making money, I found a place to stay at an orphanage in town. Father Brock, the man who runs it, was really kind to me over the years, just as supportive as anyone in the guild. I left once I became proficient enough with my Card Magic to start supporting myself, but I still go back every now and again to help out in whatever way I can."

"That's really nice," Lucy said softly. Not that Cana had initially struck her as shallow by any means, but with the heavy drinking, skimpy wardrobe, and her wily demeanor, it wouldn't have been her first guess to think of her as rather tender. Revealing her background helped paint the older girl in a gentler light, and in the brunette's own words, everyone loved a pleasant surprise.

"Something like that," she replied nonchalantly as she twisted open the cap of her beverage. She courteously offered Lucy a swig, even though they both knew she'd decline. "Anyway, Father Brock contacted me earlier this morning asking if I could help find a little girl's missing doll," she continued between sips. "I didn't have anything better to do, but it's not like I was gonna say no either way."

Not long after, they came up to the small church grounds where Cana had formerly called home. It was nowhere near as grandiose as Kardia Cathedral in the middle of the city, but Lucy felt it had its own quaint charm. As they neared the cross-bearing gates, she couldn't help but think that perhaps Cana could've chosen to wear something a little less revealing for the occasion. For some reason, a church full of children didn't seem like the most appropriate place to don a bikini top.

"Oh, before I forget," she said in remembrance, materializing a card in her hand. It cast a glow over her torso, outfitting her in a fresh-scented white and orange Heart Kreuz tee. Lucy smiled at her friend having the presence of mind to alter her dress (she also made a note to ask to borrow the shirt at some point; she had a jacket, skirt and a pair of boots that would match for a totally cute autumn look).

"You can use all kinds of different spells with Card Magic, right?" she asked with genuine interest.

Cana nodded. "That was just a simple Requip spell, nothing as impressive as what Erza can do. You'll see for yourself tomorrow, when she trashes Natsu just as easily as this," she said, slipping her empty bottle into a conveniently-placed disposal bin to emphasize her point.

She lead her through the gates, and walked around the church to a second smaller building to the southwest of the grounds. Pushing the old double doors open, they entered the orphanage, where they were greeted with animated chattering in another room, and the aroma of a savory lunch wafting about. They navigated down the hallway to another set of doors, the source of the commotion.

"Ah, Cana!" a short, old man in priest robes smiled at her when she strode into the cafeteria with Lucy. Immediately, the large group of children flocked to the young women, encircling them with awe sparkling in their eyes. Father Brock prompted them into a chorus of greeting, then turned back to the stunning girl he had helped raised. "I really appreciate you coming here today, dear. And you've brought a friend along with you."

"It's no problem," Cana shrugged modestly. "This is Lucy, she's new to Fairy Tail. Lucy, Father Brock and the kids," she said, introducing the parties to one another. "Looks like you guys were about to have lunch. What's on the menu?"

Lucy watched with a warm smile as Cana playfully interacted with the youths, joking and patting their heads. It was clear that she was an idol to them. She, a prominent member of Magnolia's beloved Fairy Tail guild, had started from the same orphanage they currently resided. Her success story was an inspiration for the kids who often felt without a real place in the world, and fed their drive to rise above someday.

They quickly took a liking to the Celestial Wizard as well, making sure to include her in their attention. She could hear some of the boys away from the pack whispering in debate over who was prettier, and Lucy couldn't help but mentally celebrate that, new girl luster be darned, she was apparently in the lead.

"It's been fun catching up, but I am here on business," Cana reminded them, who groaned in response. She took the hand of a melancholy little girl with brown hair, about six or seven years old, that had been hanging in the back of the crowd, and lead her to an empty table with Lucy in tow. "So, Jamie, what happened to your doll?"

Jamie smiled at her heroine briefly, but reverted to her sad expression soon after. "Father Brock took us out to the park yesterday, and I brought along my favorite Seira doll with me," she explained. Lucy recognized the name as the main character of a highly popular light novel series, a pink-haired magical girl. "I played with some of the other girls for most of the day, but then the boys invited us to a game of tag, so I left Seira with Father Brock. But when it was time to go, he didn't have her anymore. He'd misplaced her."

Cana grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "You can trust the man to watch kids, but anything else, and he's totally helpless," she quipped. Jamie smiled again, but it wasn't for more than a second. "Alright, since I like you so much, here's what I'm gonna do for you. Take this."

Lucy observed as her friend handed Jamie one of her magic cards. Under her instruction, the little girl channeled her focus on her Seira doll into the card, even going as far as pressing the slow-blinking slip to her forehead. Cana giggled at the sight, then took the card back when its glowing became stable. "Does that mean you found her?" Jamie asked hopefully.

"Pretty much," she said, the young girl's face erupting into a permanent smile. "Just wait a little while for us, okay? We'll be back with Seira before you know it."

The rest of the kids all waved at the mages as they set off to retrieve the doll. The card was leading them to the more upscale districts of Magnolia, so they would once again have to traverse across the city. Fortunately, there was generous cloud coverage that day, and a cool breeze that allowed them to speak freely instead of whining about the heat.

"So is that how you helped Erza find Kageyama?" Lucy inquired. The redhead had explained that she'd found the Eisenwald member carrying Lullaby with a hand from the guild's number one drinker.

Cana nodded. "I actually took up Card Magic to locate my dad, to be able to foretell when he'd be returning to the guild," she said. She figured her father would be brought up at some point, so she might as well get it out of the way. Her tone indicated it wasn't a favorite subject of hers, though.

"Who is he?" Lucy wondered why no one had brought up her father before, especially with how close the two were getting since her admission.

The brunette remained silent with a faraway gaze, before giving a sigh. "What I'm about to tell you stays between us, got it?" She paused, letting Lucy seal the promise with a nod. "Here's the truth: no one in the guild knows that my father's a member, too. Not him, not Master Makarov, not Gray, no one. You're the first person I've told this to."

Lucy absorbed the pain behind her words. It was clear this was something that, despite her normal cheeky attitude, weighed heavily on the girl. "But he's why you joined Fairy Tail in the first place, isn't it? Why haven't you said anything to him?"

"Well, he's never around, for one," Cana muttered. "He'll show up for a few days, leave, and take ages to return again. The last time he was at the guild was over two years ago."

The wheels in Lucy's head began turning at the description. As vague as it was, it was reminiscent of a profile she'd heard of from Natsu and Lisanna the day before. She didn't want to give any indication that she already had a suspect, though. "You've been with the guild for twelve years now, I'm sure you've gotten a few chances at telling him. What else is holding you back?"

Another pause from Cana as she chose how to structure her answer. "I just... I was never able to say it. But when I got my first invitation to the S-Class trials four years ago, I decided I'd have to win, and become one of the top-ranking wizards in Fairy Tail before I could break it to him. I guess I wanted a reason for him to be proud of me, so he'd know what an amazing daughter he had."

Lucy felt her heart stir at the confession. She knew exactly what it felt like to want a father's approval, and she understood why Cana had chosen to aim for the highest pinnacle there was for a guild wizard. A second later, she realized the other reason why she'd been tormented over her lofty goal. "But you ran into Erza, Mira, and Mystogan, didn't you?"

Cana nodded with a small, self-depreciating smirk. "Everyone tells me I would've made S-Class a long time ago for any other guild. But Fairy Tail only grants the rank once a year, and those three, they're something else entirely. It's really not fair. This past year's quest was the best shot I've had so far, but I still wasn't able to pull it off against Freed. As sorry as I felt for myself, though, I couldn't help but feel bad that he didn't get S-Class."

Lucy noticed the slight blush at the mention of the man who defeated her, another glimpse into her beautiful, longing soul. She reached out and took her hand, causing her to stop. "Even if you aren't officially S-Class, you _are_ amazing," she said, squeezing gently. "My mom died when I was a little girl, too, and I didn't exactly have a dad be there for me, either. I know how hard it is to stand with all of that on your shoulders, but you, you make it look effortless."

"Careful, Lucy," Cana warned with a bashful grin. "A cute blonde, holding my hand and telling me all these pretty little things? I just might fall for you."

They giggled as resumed walking, remaining linked for another short stretch. "There's always next time for you, right?" Lucy asked.

"That's what I've been telling myself for four competitions now," Cana chuckled, "and with a new crop of guys like Gray and Natsu stepping up for their first opportunity, I doubt it'll get any easier."

"I know you can do it," the Celestial Wizard said resolutely. Thinking ahead to the possibility, it'd be difficult to cheer against her other friends in the guild if they were selected for the trials, but she was going to align to Cana's cause. Her story resounded in her, and she'd support her to that end, no matter what.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," Cana smiled gratefully.

At last, they reached the locator card's destination, a great mansion three stories high. They rang the doorbell at the gates, a middle-aged butler sharply attending to them seconds later. "What is your reason for coming to this estate?" he asked, his voice extremely formal.

"We're from the Fairy Tail guild," Cana said. She lifted up her shirt slightly, revealing the black stamp on the left of her waist. Lucy held up her hand as well, but giggled inwardly as the butler never removed his eyes from the brunette's flawless hips, the tiniest bit of pink coloring his otherwise stony visage. "We're looking for a doll that belonged to a little girl in our client's care, and I tracked its whereabouts here. Do you think you could help us out?"

The man respectfully inclined his head. "One moment, please."

Turning on his heel, he retreated back into the mansion. Cana and Lucy wondered if they were being ditched after being gone for several minutes, but he reappeared eventually, escorting a girl around Jamie's age to the gate. She had rich blonde curls that bounced with her steps, her arms gripped tightly around a smiling Seira figure with a disgruntled expression.

"I don't wanna give her up," she pouted insistently to the butler. "You gave her to me, so she's mine now!"

"Lady Cherami, please," the butler said soothingly, before turning to the young women with an apologetic smile behind his mustache. "I found this doll yesterday during a nightly stroll through the park. Lady Cherami is quite fond of this particular girl's adventure series, so I decided to bring it back to her. I didn't think she'd grow so attached to it so quickly, however."

Cana squatted to level with Cherami, giving her an encouraging smile. "That doll actually belongs to a little girl in an orphanage, and she's pretty bummed out that she lost her favorite toy. Could you please return it to her?"

Cherami briskly turned her head away from her. "I don't care that you're from Fairy Tail, I'm not listening to you! I wanna keep her, because I love Seira!"

Lucy spotted how Cana's eyebrow raised and her grin dropped at the girl's bratty attitude. Fearing what might result if she lost her patience, the blonde took over. "Lady Cherami, could you imagine if you suddenly lost everything you had?" The girl, still not looking at either of the mages, grew nervous at the thought. "Pretty scary, huh? Well, that's just what Jamie's feeling right now. The children in the orphanage don't have a whole lot, so their few possessions mean the world to them. As much as you love Seira, Jamie loves her even more. Don't you think it would be nice to give her back to her?"

The young girl hugged the doll closer, but her quivering lip indicated to Lucy she was breaking ground.

"Seira's a member of the NitroPlus guild, isn't she? Aren't they always talking about doing the right thing?" she continued. "If Seira were here, what do you think she would do?"

Cherami sighed. "She'd say to always help those in need," she answered, beginning to extend the figurine to them. She hesitated just before getting her within reach of the others outside the gate. "Is it fun to be in a guild?" she asked meekly.

"A lot of fun," the girls replied in earnest simultaneously.

"Then if I give Seira back, you have to promise that when I become a wizard just like her, you'll let me join Fairy Tail," she listed as her condition with a royal air.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Cana agreed with a smile. If she was serious about learning magic and being the best wizard she could be, there would definitely be a place for her at Fairy Tail.

She accepted the Seira doll from Cherami, who warned them not to forget about their promise. She and Lucy smiled at her enthusiasm, and bid her and the butler a sweet farewell as they set on course back to the orphanage. It was just as lively as when they'd first departed, as the kids were still caught up on their lovely visitors. They nearly knocked them over when they saw they'd returned, but the herd simmered down when Cana singled out Jamie.

"For you, little lady," she said, lowering to a knee as she handed her toy over.

"Thank you so much!" Jamie cried, throwing her free arm around the young woman. "You're the best, Cana!"

"Hey, it wasn't all me," she said, motioning to partner. "If Lucy hadn't been able to talk the girl who had Seira into giving her up, I probably would've had to snatch it from her and gotten myself thrown in jail, so we both gotta share the gratitude."

"Thank you, Lucy," Jamie smiled, switching her hug to the blonde's knees before she could bend down. Lucy patted her head gently, as the whole orphanage all began to clamor about how amazing the Fairy Tail girls were.

Cana and Lucy hung out for a little while longer, only leaving when the Card Wizard whispered over to her that it had been too long since her last drink. All of the children and Father Brock followed them out to the front doors, where he warmly shook their hands with both of his. "Again, my sincerest thanks for helping Jamie today," he said with a bow. "Now you two take care of yourselves. Cana, my dear, be strong in the face of vice."

"I'm practically immune," she winked, pulling him into a disconcerting hug at her chest. "If you ever need anything else, you know who to call."

As the two trekked back to the guild, Lucy couldn't help but look at Cana with greater admiration after finding out where she came from, and where she wanted to go. Everything she'd learned about her today - the fact that she'd provided for the orphanage's better living conditions with money from jobs, the genuine love she felt for those kids, her ultimate desire to achieve S-Class to finally 'meet' her father - it made her happy that she had another wonderful friend to grow with in Fairy Tail.

* * *

><p><em>Friendship is a beautiful thing, and the bond that was struck up between Lucy and Cana I felt was gold. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a whole lot of the two together since Tenrou Island, but in Another Imagining, they'll be interacting as best friends.<em>

_I also used this opportunity to shout-out to the girls' voice actresses, two of the best in the business, and make reference to the brilliant world of 5pb.'s Science Adventure series. If you don't know them, seriously check them out._

_So of course, I hope you guys enjoyed this installment. I'm just as fond of reviews as I am of Lucy and Cana, so by all means, we'd love to hear from you!_


	3. Extra 3

_For this entry of Sidestories, I decided I wanted to shine the spotlight on Gray and his relationship with Ur. I really liked her from what we got to see of her, and I actually found myself much more invested in her than I thought I was during one of Gray's later fights in the series (for the sake of preventing spoilers, I won't give any details on that. I hope that those caught up know who I'm talking about, though)._

_I didn't get to use Ur as a character in AI, so I'll take the opportunity to do so here. As for where this fits in the main story, that'd be the beginning of Chapter 10, after Gray departs from Erza and goes on the way to his final showdown with Lyon. So, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Extra 3<br>- Hello Cold World -**

Even with his body threatening to collapse, Gray continued to drag himself back to the temple. No matter how much his bandaged bruises ached with each step, he had to stop Lyon. He needed to. Erza had trusted him to defeat his former friend, and he refused to let her down. His surrogate sister had placed in him the same faith that his surrogate mother had, a faith she'd carried for him from the day he awoke to her warm smile, to the night she sacrificed herself for the sake of her two pupils.

Ur had been so wonderful to him. Being an bitter child, angry at his lot in life, he didn't appreciate her nurturing at the time, but after she managed to defeat Deliora with the pyrrhic Iced Shell technique, he came to understand how much he'd taken her for granted. As he pressed forward to the base of the pyramid, his pain began to alleviate as he allowed his mind to wander to the most cherished memories he had of that kind, beautiful Ice-Make Wizard.

**- 0 -**

_"Hey," a soft voice fluttered into his ears as he slowly began to crack his eyes. "Hey, little guy? How do you feel?"_

_Gray absorbed the sights before him drowsily, the most prominent of which was a concerned-looking woman that he failed to recognize. "What's going on? Who are -?"_

_He suddenly remembered the last events of his consciousness. He began to thrash about under the sheets he was tucked into, screaming wide-eyed at the top of his lungs as his mind raced with horrifying images of burning buildings, bodies crushed by rubble, and his ears were filled with the agonized yells of the innocent, the apocalyptic roars of the giant demon that destroyed all._

_"Whoa, calm down! Calm down!" the woman said, placing her hands on the boy's shoulders to keep him in place. Nevertheless, he refused to stop squirming._

_"Deliora! Deliora's attacking us! We have to get away!" he cried to her._

_"Just take a deep breath, kid, and look around you!" she said, managing to settle him with a single strong rock. Gray did as he was told, slowly inhaling as he regained the better part of his composure. He scanned the room first, finding himself in what appeared to be a simple but peaceful hotel quarters. He caught a glimpse of the outside through the window next to him, seeing a quiet, undisturbed night. He found he was laying on a bed, the sheets the only thing apparently askew in the world, and that was from his episode a moment ago._

_At last he came to settle on the woman, the only person there with him. As a young boy who had yet to seriously distinguish the opposite gender, even he couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. She seemed fairly young, but there was a mature softness to her that reminded him of his mother._

_"My mom!" Gray shouted in reminder of what had happened, beginning to freak out once more. "Where's my mom? And my dad?"_

_She averted her eyes, his worst fears confirmed before she opened her mouth. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "You're the only survivor I found."_

_In the second that it took for reality to tear open his heart, Gray noticed a short figure at the door, peering at them through the small gap. Then he broke down, sobbing uncontrollably until only an exhausted sleep was able to overcome his emotions._

**- 0 -**

_"My name's Ur," the woman with the chin-length hair introduced herself the next morning. Gray didn't have the energy to look at her or even to sit up, instead remaining on his side. The mattress against his cheek was still cold and wet from his tears the night before, but he hardly noticed the uncomfortable condition._

_All he could think about was that his parents were dead._

_"What's your name?" Ur inquired delicately, sitting at the foot of the bed._

_It took a moment before he choked out an automated response. "Gray," he said, his throat painfully dry._

_"Gray," she repeated, casting a look at the door, again left ajar. "Would you like something to drink? We made hot chocolate."_

_For some reason, her saying 'we' prompted him to weakly push himself to recline against his pillow. Taking this as a sign of acceptance, Ur nodded at the door, and a boy, likely his age, came in with a tray holding a steaming mug. She received the tray from the boy, and invited Gray to the drink. He slowly grabbed the handle and brought it to his lips, flinching when the scalding liquid hit his tongue._

_"Is that too hot for you?" she asked, reaching out and placing her fingertip on the side of the mug. The steam instantly vanished, and when he took his next sip, he found the chocolate to be at an ideal temperature. He downed it all in just a few hearty gulps, cooling his burned tastebuds and leaving him feeling somewhat replenished._

_"Thanks," he muttered, placing the mug back on the tray before Ur set it beside her. After another lengthy pause, in which he looked between her and the other kid, he managed to use his rediscovered voice to begin asking questions. "So what's going on? Who are you? And where am I?"_

_"Like I said, I'm Ur, and this is my student, Lyon," she said, gesturing to the boy. Lyon offered him a bow and a small, polite smile in greeting. "We're in a motel in Sedona, a small village a few miles away from your hometown. Lyon and I were here for a job when we heard about what happened in Isvan, so we went to see the damage for ourselves. That's where we found you. It's been three days since then."_

_"You brought me with you?" Gray didn't sound exactly grateful at having been rescued, perhaps even disappointed._

_"Well, I wasn't just gonna leave you there by yourself," Ur replied, her tone hardening slightly before easing again. "You were the only one that managed to escape Deliora. It wouldn't have been right if I didn't help you."_

_Gray fell silent again, his hair obscuring his eyes as he gripped the bedsheets. His frame shivered as he began to sniffle. Ur decided to give him a moment alone, so after patting his knee, she took Lyon and had him exit the room first. She watched Gray lie back down as she closed the door, but right before the bolt clicked, she heard him ask something else. Because he was facing the wall next to the bed, his words sounded distant, but she had understood what he said perfectly._

_"What am I supposed to do now?"_

_"You lived, didn't you?" she responded quietly. "So, live."_

**- 0 -**

_Four days had passed since that morning. It had been a week since Ur had saved Gray from the wreckage of Isvan, but the boy had remained comatose for the first three-day stretch. Even after waking up, he barely seemed aware of the things around him, looking lost as the master and student transferred him to their home in Flagstaff. He was so despondent, rarely speaking in full sentences and just cracking his mouth open to eat. She felt terrible for it, but she was beginning to lose patience with boy._

_"Look, Gray," she said as he poked at his near-untouched lunch, Lyon almost finished with his serving. "I know you've been through a lot, but you gotta snap out of this funk at some point. Whenever you feel up to it, meet me and Lyon outside; we can help you take your mind off things."_

_Ur extended the proposition for two more days in a row, with Gray declining every time, opting to sit in solitude on the bed she'd made for him. By the third day, she wasn't leaving it as a choice any more._

_"I wanna stay inside," he tried to defy her as she handed him a jacket and scarf._

_"Not today," she said, ushering him towards the back door. She walked him to the middle of her vast backyard at the foot of a mountainous forest, colorless with snow draping every inch he could see of the expanse. Lyon had been waiting for her, eagerly jumping up from the uprooted tree he'd been sitting on. "Normally this is when I'd begin Lyon's lessons, but today I just wanted to show you some of what I've been teaching him."_

_"Ur's a master of Ice-Make Magic," Lyon explained, his slanted eyes growing large with excitement. "She's so amazing, and really powerful. She could be one of the Ten Wizard Saints!"_

_Life flickered in Gray's expression when he was told this. It was the first instance of her seeing anything but depression from the boy. Inspired by the change, Ur went on to create all kinds of moldings with her tremendous reserve of energy. Stationary objects, animated creatures, but what she truly prided herself in was her flower theme. She'd always preferred that particular flair, and it had become her signature as her reputation spread across the kingdom. Other wizards proficient in Maker Magic had tried to imitate her style, but no one else could duplicate the beautiful details of her floral designs._

_Ur capped off her demonstration by producing a single rose, carefully holding out her yellow-tinted sculpture by the thorny stem. "For you," she said, presenting it to Gray. Tears began to bead around the corners of his eyes, but this time, they were accompanied by a tiny smile as he accepted her gift._

**- 0 -**

_"Are you really strong enough to be one of the Wizard Saints?" Gray asked her that night after dinner, coming up behind her as she washed the dishes._

_Ur finished up rinsing a bowl, then shut off the water and dried her hands with towel. "I guess," she shrugged with a smirk, turning around to lean against the sink. "I'm sure there are plenty of mages out there who're more powerful than I am, but a guy I know from the Magic Council always said I would make it in if I wanted to. I kinda used to get the feeling they were just looking for eye candy, though. Incidentally, he stopped approaching me so much after I got married."_

_This new bit of information registered in Gray's mind, but he had something he had to follow through on first before he could inquire about anything else. "Then could you beat Deliora?"_

_Ur's playful demeanor vanished at the question. "What're you getting at, Gray?"_

_"I don't want you to go after Deliora," he clarified, balling his fists. "I want you to teach me magic like Lyon. Make me strong enough so I can kill that demon myself."_

_She held his steadfast gaze for a moment. A fire, whether it was sparked by recent events, or rekindled from the embers of the boy he always was, was burning inside of Gray. Ur knew that if she didn't help him tame that anger, then it would consume him, eat at his vulnerable soul. If it got to that point, he wouldn't be able to fulfill the wish she'd made for him._

_"I'll teach you," she nodded. It wasn't going to be easy for either of them, but she would instruct him. She wasn't going to let him fall prey to the darkness Deliora had cast in his life, so she would do her best to see him rise above and become a demon's nightmare._

**- 0 -**

_"Ice-Make Magic is stupid," the shivering Gray scoffed with his arms crossed over his bare chest. "How am I supposed to kill Deliora with bunnies and roses? Teach me something I can actually use against him."_

_"Maker Magic is limited only by your imagination," Lyon frowned at him, defending his beloved master with the first lesson she'd taught him. "If used correctly, anything you dream of could have a great purpose. Ur can't show us any advanced spells if you still haven't learned the basics, though."_

_"I'm not learning anything right now!" Gray snapped. "Running around the snowy mountains in just our underwear's not doing anything for me, and these dumb little animals are completely useless! I need to learn something powerful for when I fight Deliora!"_

_Ur placed her hands on her hips. "Everyone has to start with the basics. I understand how you feel -"_

_"No, you don't!" he interrupted. "You don't know anything about how I feel! What have you lost that comes close to my parents being killed? Huh? Nothing, I bet, so don't try to act like you know what I'm going through!"_

_The ice mage couldn't help but break into a sardonic chuckle at that, further angering the boy. "I've lost things, too, Gray. Precious things. I know how painful it is to have your world collapse on you, and you'd do well to keep in mind that a lot of people you'll meet in life could share similar stories with you. Do you wanna hear mine?"_

_Gray scowled at her, but was otherwise ready to listen. Lyon, on the other hand, already knew her tale and how it much it hurt her to relive it. "You don't have to explain yourself to him," he said quietly._

_"He should know," Ur smiled at him, ruffling his silvery-blue hair before looking at Gray. "I said I was married before, didn't I? Ever wondered why you've never seen a man around here, or why I've never talked about a husband? It's because he left me when I told him I was pregnant. He never wanted to have children, and even though it made me sad to think I wouldn't be a mother, I respected his wishes because I loved him. However, things didn't quite go as he wanted. He grabbed all his things, and marched out without a single look back. I haven't seen or spoken to him since then. I was heartbroken, but at least I knew I wouldn't be alone for very long."_

_The boy from Isvan suddenly felt a pang of guilt at Ur's sorrowful expression. She gingerly rested a hand over her exposed stomach, her head lowered to obscure her eyes, and Gray began to feel even worse when he realized why she'd also refrained from mentioning a child. "And your son, or daughter...?"_

_"My daughter passed away two years ago," Ur replied softly. "She was born with an overabundance of magical energy. She'd always been frail, but she tried to never let that get in the way of living a normal life - until her magic became too much for her to bear. I wanted to do whatever I could to help her, so I took her to a facility that promised to help her. But instead, during that time, her body gave out, and..."_

_"I'm sorry," Gray whispered when she didn't resume speaking. He had no idea that she'd been through something like that. He'd known Ur as a calm woman, with a warm and bright demeanor. For her to remain so optimistic after her husband abandoned her, and after the death of her child, it gave him hope that some day, he wouldn't feel so tormented himself._

**- 0 -**

_Ur was gone. Lyon had taken off, as well._

_Gray's frustration had boiled over, leading him to the stupidest mistake he could've made. He'd sought after Deliora, and tried to fight it with only his intermediate level of Ice-Make Magic. By some miracle, he had survived encountering the titan once more, but his life, along with his fellow student's, was granted through their master sacrificing hers._

_He tried staring absently out the train's window, but he always caught the pathetic look in his eyes in his faint reflection, which made him turn away. His anger had yet to dissipate, but now it was mostly aimed at himself. Lyon had rightfully accused him of being the reason that Ur was no longer alive as everyone else was. If it hadn't been for his recklessness, then she'd still be living in her quaint cottage by the woods, still being happy to show her two adorable students the ways of magic._

_As the train pulled into a station, he saw a woman, perhaps Ur's age, leading a pair of young twin boys to the entrance of his car. One of the kids was well-behaved, smiling as he held his mother's hand, while the other discontentedly tugged at her long skirt. The woman sighed as she sat them down opposite her, but her delight was apparent. As trying as they could be at times, it was clear she loved her children._

_The scene struck at Gray. From the moment he'd met Ur, she'd always prioritized the well-being of her pupils. She'd cared for him and Lyon as if they were her own, but not as replacements for her daughter. She'd wanted them to grow into good men, to leave a positive imprint in the world that had shaken them._

_Ur wanted them to be happy. She wanted their spirits to go through their struggles with their heads held high, and to explore the best of whatever lay ahead of their paths. Yes, he was alone once again, but he wouldn't be for very long, because he would take her wish to heart. He would go where he would be accepted by people just as kind as her, who wanted the same happiness for him, and he in turn would get to be a part of theirs._

_Ur, before settling with her husband, had been a famous member of a wizarding guild. Always modest about her tremendous strength, she'd described her old home as a wonderful place. She'd suggested that the boys join one when she finished their instructions, so they could get to learn things she wouldn't be able to teach them. She'd told them of a number of guilds that could interest them, but even as he tried tuning her out, there was one organization that had proved memorable to him._

_The guild in Magnolia, southwest of the region he'd been born in, had been steadily gaining popularity for their collection of powerful, affable and reliable mages. Ur had spoken highly of some of their members that she'd been acquainted with, and after some soul searching about where to go next, Gray decided he wanted to join a guild she would approved of, a guild that shared her philosophy of always seeking out moments that would make his heart swell with the joy of being together and helping others._

_Gray decided he would join Fairy Tail._

**- 0 -**

The last thing that Gray thought of before getting back to the top of the temple was how he and Lyon branched out after Ur used the Ice Shell. He, who had been a dissatisfied brat for most of the time he'd been with her, had accepted her final gift and lived to the fullest at his guild. Lyon, on the other hand, who had always been so full of enthusiasm and energy as a boy getting to learn from his idol, had descended into a twisted vision of self-serving avenging.

He wanted to help his former friend. He'd felt that rage before. It had clouded his once-noble dream of surpassing his master, wasting a decade of his life that he could've spent actually living like Ur wanted. Gray understood Lyon was beyond simply listening to words, so there would was only one way he could hope to get to him.

With a deep breath, fueled by the memory of Ur and the confidence of his friends, he launched himself up, ready to put an end to this icy chapter in their lives.

* * *

><p><em>Ur was a very wonderful lady, and I'm happy that I was able to write her in some capacity, after all. I'm actually very proud of how this piece turned out, and hopefully, you guys think I did Ur justice, too.<em>

_So, I bet you're wondering now what the next Sidestory will be. Well, it relates to the next arc in Fairy Tail, so I won't be giving away too much. I will say that it's not going to tragically tug at your heartstrings, as it's more comedy-oriented. In any case, if you wanna review this chapter, I'd greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks, and see you next time!_


	4. Extra 4

_After the last heartfelt episode of Sidestories, we're shifting gears a little with a lighter chapter this time around: Lucy's first time at Fairy Hills! I really enjoyed the OVA, so I knew I had to try my hand at my own version at some point!_

_Of course, this takes place near the end of Chapter 11, after the guild hall was destroyed by Phantom Lord. So without any further ado, let's venture into the girls' dormitories! (I'm definitely not wriggling my fingers mischievously over here)._

* * *

><p><strong>Extra 4<br>- What Eroge Is This?! -**

"Are you sure you brought enough with you?" Erza, the Head Girl of Fairy Hills, asked Lucy as they walked together up the path to the dormitory. If their roles had been reversed, more than a single bag would've been required for everything she would've wanted to have brought over.

"It'll just be for a few nights, right?" Lucy replied. "Hopefully this issue with Phantom Lord gets resolved soon, but if I need anything else, I could just go back for it."

"Indeed," Erza nodded, turning serious at the mention of the rival guild. "I can't say that I expect Phantom Lord to stop with just our main guild hall. We have smaller branches located in other cities, and it's possible that they could be targeted as well. I didn't want to disagree with Master Makarov, but standing idle against them only invites further action. I don't believe fighting them outright is the best solution, although we could do more than simply wait for the Magic Council to respond to their crime."

"I'm not sure anyone else would be on the same page about not fighting them outright."

At this, Erza smiled. "Yes, we are an implacable bunch, aren't we?" Reaching the top of the knoll, the two passed underneath the archway emblazoned with the structure's name as they came to the front porch. "But, let's not weigh down your first visit here with any more thoughts on the matter. Welcome to Fairy Hills."

Lucy's heart drummed excitedly. This was an experience she unfortunately missed out on when she initially joined the guild, but now that she was finally at the girls' dormitories, she had to contain herself from letting her giddiness override her composure. It was the same feeling as when she was first brought to Fairy Tail by Natsu and Happy, but at least this time, the doors would be utilized as they were meant to be, instead of being kicked open.

"So you guys made it," Cana grinned at them in the lobby, half-lying on the couch with a bottle at her lips. "Lisanna was starting to get worried. She was on the verge of running out and looking for you with that strictly-platonic-except-not-really best friend of hers."

The white-haired girl gave her a blushing smirk from the adjacent armchair. "I knew they'd be okay. Lucy was with one of Fairy Tail's _two_ female S-Class Wizards," she teased back.

Cana accepted the rib with a tip of her drink. "She may seem all sweet and innocent," she winked at Lucy, "but watch out; that catgirl's got claws, and she'll scratch ya where it hurts."

Lucy smiled at their playful girl banter, while Erza lead her to the foot of the stairs. "I'm taking her to my room so she can leave her things," she called out to them. "Afterwards, I'll be showing her around the facility, so if you'd like to take the opportunity to tidy up your rooms..."

Cana and Lisanna sheepishly grinned, as if such an effort would be futile. Nevertheless, they accompanied Erza and Lucy up to third floor, where they quickly opened and closed their doors behind them after departing from the two. Erza brought the blonde to the middle of the corridor, and allowed her into her quarters. At first Lucy wanted to compliment Erza on her simple but classy decor style, but then she noticed the series of missing walls on the right, extending to every room left on that side of the building.

The redhead had mentioned she had plural rooms, but Lucy wasn't expecting that she was taking up the rest of the hallway. "These are all your armors?" she asked after recovering from the shock. Mannequins, dressed in various battle outfits, were lined in rows, creating a sea of lifeless warriors brandishing intimidating weaponry. (And then, there were those rather odd ensembles littered throughout).

"These are just the ones I don't have space for in my dimensional inventory," Erza explained. "I've reached my limit as to how many I can carry at a time, but I want to someday grow strong enough to include them all. In the past year I was able to add a whole room, so I decided to remodel it into a spare bedroom in case I had a visitor."

"Planning on inviting someone over?" Lucy asked casually, setting her bag at the foot of the first room's bed at her gesturing, even as she wondered how insanely powerful the magical knight was to have filled her considerable pocket dimension already, and with such a collection still lying in wait.

Erza got a faraway look in her eyes as she stared out of the sole window, facing the blue of the lake and sky. "I'd hope so," she whispered a moment later.

After showing off some of the wicked armors she had planned on making room for first, they exited back into the hallway. Just as they were about to descend to the second floor, a door on the other side of Erza's estate opened to reveal a tote-carrying Levy. "Hey, Lucy!" she said brightly. "So what do you think of Fairy Hills?"

"It's really nice," she answered as they approached her. "I've just seen Erza's rooms so far. She was about to show me the bathroom downstairs just now."

"You should see my room before I go," Levy invited, widening the entrance with her hip. Lucy stepped inside, and wasn't at all surprised to find it filled with books. The extent of which, however, was breathtaking, as it was practically a library's worth. Every available inch of wall was a bookshelf, and even then more were brought in to accommodate the vast selection, leaving enough space to form a narrow path to Levy's bed. "I'm sorry I'm gonna miss the fun with you tonight, but the boys really wanted to have me over. As a consolation, I'll let you borrow anything here you might want to read."

"No need to apologize," Lucy smiled. "And thanks, but I'll take a rain check on that for now. I don't think I'd be able to stop if I started looking through all those, and I don't wanna keep you."

Erza coughed. "I'll take you up on that, if you don't mind, Levy," she said shiftily, plucking a red hardcover novel with her grinning approval.

Once they were back out in the hallway, the redhead swiftly ducked into her room to store the book, never having let Lucy see what she'd procured. The Celestial Wizard asked Levy what kind of stories she liked to read, but the petite girl only managed to wink at her as Erza returned. "So you're gonna show Lucy the bathroom? It's too bad it's still busted, I miss how _steamy_ it can get in there."

"If your room's ventilation doesn't allow for a proper bathing experience, I'll arrange to fix that as well," Erza said, oblivious to her secret meaning. Levy left them at the second floor, hugging Lucy with the promise that they'd catch up later. Erza took her into the public baths, a long room that would've been serenely relaxing if the grand pool wasn't missing a sizable chunk of its border, with cracks running along the floor from the damage. "There was... an _incident,_ last week," she offered vaguely.

With the impression that she wasn't going to give more details, Lucy didn't bother asking. Their next destination took them to the door across from the bathroom, to Bisca's quarters. The gunslinging girl cheerfully showed off her room, occupied with exotic animals and plantlife crawling up the walls.

"Normally pets aren't allowed in Fairy Hills," she said, brushing the mane of her loyal steed as it whinnied softly, "but Erza makes an exception for me, so long as she gets to come over and play with them whenever she likes."

"We have no such agreement. I simply trust Bisca to be responsible, nothing more," the Head Girl said dutifully, holding out a carrot for the horse as she simultaneously let a thin snake swirl around her arm, and a golden retriever energetically wagged its tail at her feet. Lucy was not convinced by her defense.

She watched in amusement as Erza went through petting each Bisca's animals before dismissing themselves. The following room they visited belonged to Laki, a dimly lit box filled with strange, painful-looking contraptions she had manufactured through her Wood-Make Magic.

"What do you think of my gallery? I'm currently working on my magnus opus in my free time," Laki said, devilishly raising her gleaming glasses as she presented a large, humanoid case. It opened to reveal it was lined with deadly spikes, both within the body and the door. Lucy gave her a nervous thumbs-up as she tried to keep from imagining just what the young woman applied her art for, and feared for Erza's safety as she poked curiously at the devices new to her.

When they were back outside, Erza pointed down to the end of the hallway, signaling to Evergreen's room. Since she was there the least of all the girls, and was also as detached from them as she could manage, even the armored wizard was unsure of its contents. They climbed back upstairs, where Cana's dorm was the next stop.

"I did what I could," the brunette shrugged as she let them in. Lucy had been expecting a mess, but found that everything was generally in its place. A long shelf for rare alcohols was set up on the far wall, most of them only sampled at best. Cards were strewn over her desk, but that was about as far as the disorder went - until the closet door burst open. A large pile of clothing tumbled out, and Lucy couldn't help but discreetly sneak glances at her friend's daring assortment of underwear as Cana tried to stuff it all back in. "This always happens," she grumbled as she shoveled her unmentionables. "I don't get how they do it; these are practically nonexistent."

She waved Erza and Lucy off to let her deal with her quandary, so the duo then knocked on the room across from her. Lisanna opened up, still displaying a shade of embarrassment as the blonde took a look around. There was no rhyme or reason to any of her random belongings or how they were scattered about, except that some appeared years old, some were in less than perfect condition.

"These are all mementos from missions I've been on with Mira and Elfman, and Natsu and Happy," she explained. "My siblings let me hang on to most of what we bring back, so the boys keep most of what we've gotten together."

"That's so cool," Lucy said earnestly, curious to one day hear the story behind the items. She would've bet to have seen a zoo up there after Bisca, but this was a heartwarming monument to how much she loved her family. It would've been even more so, if it hadn't all been so cluttered. If the sensible Lisanna had this much of a catastrophe, she shuddered to think what Natsu' and Happy's house looked like.

"So you've saved the best for last?" a sultry voice asked behind them. They turned around, to see Mira standing at the doorway with a smirk. "Keep those expectations tempered, Lucy," she advised as she wagged them over with a finger.

Her room was beside her younger sister's, and at this point Lucy was prepared for anything - except complete normalcy. Mira's room was the cleanest and most organized of all, with limited personalized touches established in the square. The only thing to suggest a sense of rebelliousness amongst the placid innocence was a sharp, violet electric guitar that stood mounted next to a plain acoustic variant, but that was offset by the array of plushy animals sitting on her bed.

"Your room's so cute!" she complimented, resisting the urge to dive onto the marshmallow-like comforter and its stuffed inhabitants.

"You'd never figure a girl once known as 'The She-Demon' sleeps here, huh?" Mira replied, crossing her arms as her grin spread. "Well, as long as you don't go through my wardrobe, anyway. Then you might start to catch on."

Lucy wondered if it truly could be more risque than Cana's, but just as she was about to brush off the thought, she remembered how competitive Mira could be. The title of Sexiest Wizard was not one she would likely concede, especially not to a girl from her own guild. With the S-Class mage's sinister smirk looming over her otherwise precious room, Lucy mentally kicked herself for doubting her claim for even one second.

**- 0 -**

After the whole congregation of young women were served dinner on the house, they all went to their rooms and changed into their sleeping outfits to group together once more on the first floor. Erza waited for Lucy on the other side of their door to head back to their room, having Requipped in the blink of an eye into a lavender pajama set.

"I'd love to learn how to do that," Lucy said, reappearing in a comfortable T-shirt and sweatpants.

"It can be very practical," she agreed as they made their way down to the common room. Bisca and Laki had been the first to arrive, dressed in a short nightgown, and a fluffy robe, respectively. "I know it's exciting having Lucy stay with us," she told them, her voice carrying up the stairs to reach the oncoming girls, "but let's try to be on our best behavior. We don't need this to end up like what happened in the bathroom, okay?"

"We could've avoided that if you - oh, never mind," Cana said as she entered next. An oversized band tee just covered her upper half, leaving her long, silky legs dangerously exposed. "And hey, you can spare me the glare, Erza. I'm wearing panties this time."

"'Atta girl," Lisanna, dressed in black boyshorts and a tank top, commended with a big smile, coming in behind her. "Guess I win this one, Mira."

"Oh well," her big sister sighed with a smirk as she made her entrance. "At least I'm not going to be outdone, though."

Lucy's eyes flew open as Mira sauntered in, wearing the most exquisite lingerie she'd ever seen. Her lace-trimmed pink babydoll and matching bottoms, along with stockings held up by a garterbelt, were even more of a knockout than any of her bikini shoots for Sorcerer Weekly, and the blonde made sure to take mental photographs of the exclusive vision.

"Anyway," Cana said, not at all bothered by the bet over what was under her shirt, rallying them all in a circle on the couches. "So now for the fun part of the night. First question: what boy from the guild would you most like to bring over to your room?"

Nervous but excited giggling rose up around the circle, and Lucy dreaded having to answer as they started around the group. With the way Cana grinned over at her, she knew the order was deliberately set up for her to go last.

"Well... Alzack," Bisca replied first, her blush prominent. The other girls _awwed_ at the admission of her long-time crush on her partner, even if it had been apparent forever. "He's been so sweet to me ever since I joined Fairy Tail, we've got so much in common... and he's a total stud without all that hair in his face."

"I'm not sure any of the guys would get my work. Maybe Bickslow might?" Laki pondered, drawing _ooohs_ from the gathering. When they thought about it, the purple-haired girl and the most out-there member of the Thunder Legion seemed like they could have some rather interesting conversations.

Erza, next to go, crossed her arms. "I think of all the boys in the guild as brothers." The girls playfully booed her response, but she remained unmoved to change her position on the subject.

"Is there someone _outside_ of Fairy Tail that you're interested in, Erza?" Mira asked coyly, leaning in closer to her rival as she got a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Or maybe, you were just waiting for a cute new _girl_ to join the guild, to invite up to that convenient spare bedroom of yours?"

At this, the redhead's composure fractured as her cheeks began to take on a scarlet tint. "No! To both! There is no one outside Fairy Tail, and I'm sorry, Lucy, but we can only be friends!" she shouted, her reaction now getting them all laughing.

"Ah, that's too bad. You're really cute when you're flustered, Erza," Lucy said with a smile, feeling her boldness enabled by the ambiance. The laughs doubled as the knight fully blushed, and some of the girls even considered hopping aboard that ship.

The turn then shifted to Lisanna, her face already flushing pink. Just as she opened her mouth, however, Cana held up a hand to stop her. "Nope. You're exempt from this round, missy, because we all know your answer. And besides, you've already tried to sneak a boy in."

Lucy raised her eyebrows at the information, as the others smirked deviously at the Take Over mage in remembrance. She was having a little trouble imagining the scenario, but, that strictly-platonic-except-not-really best friend of Lisanna's was a boy, after all...

"It wasn't like that!" she cried defensively, mostly at Lucy, because no one else had believed her out the first time around. "I already told you, I hadn't been feeling well that day, so Natsu came over to check up on me!"

"Through your window, at 1 in the morning?" Mira teased skeptically. "He was lucky Erza got to him before I did. Otherwise, I would've made him rethink ever coming near my little sister again."

"I went easy on him because he claimed he only wanted to make you feel better," Erza said (the snickering was right on cue for that entendre), "but I made sure he understood never to set foot on Fairy Hills again."

"So what about you, Mira?" Cana asked, directing the heat from the youngest Strauss daughter to the eldest. It seemed as if the model's love life was the subject of much fascination, as the girls all looked highly attentive at how she'd reply. "Who'd be fortunate enough to have the privilege - or unfortunate?"

Mira smirked back at the brunette, ready to change which way the pot was being stirred. "I guess I'd go with Freed," she said with an overdose of sugar in her voice. "He's so handsome, and strong, and mysterious. I remember he was blushing so much when I offered him a copy of my first magazine spread, it was totally cute." Even though it had only been for a split second, Cana's eyes had noticeably narrowed. "Oh, you weren't planning on naming him, were you? I'm sorry."

"Not at all," Cana grinned, finding her brashness once more. "The boy I'd like to invite over the most is actually Happy. I think it'd be pretty fun to sit around with him and plan pranks on all of you." This too was met with jeers from the circle, who let the Card Wizard know that was an even bigger cop-out answer than Erza's. She payed them no mind, though, as she was locked in a staring battle with Mira.

Lucy could already see how this was likely to end, and cleared her throat to speak and hopefully break up the tension. Problem was, she didn't exactly have any Fairy Tail guy in mind, resulting in more of a soft cough than a way to draw their focus. It wasn't that there weren't any attractive young men to choose from (off the top of her head, Loke and Gray were quality selections that hadn't been mentioned yet, and Natsu and Freed for those who had), she just didn't see any of them in a particularly special light.

"What did I say about being on your best behavior for Lucy?" Erza asked precariously, and the blonde was thankful for the save - for a moment. Cana and Mira turned their frowns on her, finding a new outlet to unload on.

"Next question: what's going on with you and that Magic Council guy, Siegrain?!" they demanded of the redhead, jabbing their fingers at her face.

The effect was instantaneous. Erza roared as she sprang up for them, Requipping a sword in each hand. Everyone but her targets scattered out of the way, as the two other strongest women in Fairy Tail summoned their own magic to brawl it out. There was a heavy burst of light that overtook the room, and Lucy could feel the shockwaves of their meeting as she barricaded behind the couch with Lisanna.

When everything seemed calm, the two girls slowly poked their heads over their hiding spot. Bisca had used the loveseat for cover, while Laki had managed to make it into the hallway. They were also checking out the damage, a crater in the carpeted floor where Erza, Mira, and Cana lay on their backs. The trio was conscious, but their clothes (as little as there was to begin with) were worse for wear.

"Perhaps I acted rashly," Erza admitted.

"I probably shouldn't have asked that," Cana followed.

"No regrets." Mira, of course.

**- 0 -**

The Head Girl dismissed everyone for the night in the wake of the common room battle, then retreated into her private bath to wash up. Lucy stood around in Erza's main bedroom, wondering where it was exactly she would be sleeping. She had always taken to mean that the spare bedroom was to be hers, but when she thought back, the only time Erza had been specific at all was where she was supposed to leave her bag, at the main bed.

She was tired after the day's events, ready to escape to a world of dreams, and so she decided to play it safe and took the second room. The last few seconds she could remember was hearing the bathroom door opening, before slipping into a land cognizant of Phantom Lord's menace.

Erza manually changed into another of the same pajama set and brushed her damp hair, in the quiet as she suspected Lucy was already asleep. She checked in on the blonde for confirmation, but found her features troubled at the apparent nightmare she was having.

She sighed softly, feeling sympathetic. After the disturbing image of their guild hall totaled, it came as no surprise that it would pervade their subconscious. Erza fully expected to be a victim of a nightmare, as well, which spurred her into climbing into the same bed as Lucy.

Erza settled behind her, holding her around the waist. If the two of them shared such a close space, then maybe they could ward off the bad thoughts. It was the Fairy Tail way to stand together, after all, so it made sense that they should lay together, right? Her mind briefly flickered ahead to how she'd explain the situation in the morning, but decided to deal with it then. For now, she just wanted to sleep with one of her warm sisters beside her.

* * *

><p><em>Well that was fun. I tried to keep it from getting too naughty for now, deliberately avoiding a bathing scene, because this wasn't the time to feature it. Does that mean we have one coming later on? And in the main fic? No spoilers!<em>

_So I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter, because I had a blast writing it... what? But anyway, if you wanna tell me just how much you loved it, you can, with the handy-dandy review function! Thanks again, and stay tuned!_


	5. Extra 5

_After a brief hiatus, Sidestories makes its triumphant return. This go-round centers on Team Shadow Gear, a friendship I've been wanting to explore for a good while now. With the end of the Phantom Lord arc, I thought it'd be appropriate to give Levy and the boys the spotlight after being kept out of the action. So, thanks for checking it out, and enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Extra 5<br>- Have Courage, My Love -**

Levy's eyes slowly opened, looking up at a ceiling that was completely unfamiliar to her. She tried sitting up in bed to get a better sense of where she was, but found moving to be a strenuous task that filled her body with pain. This sparked her mind to recollect the beating she, Droy and Jet had received the previous night.

With a stifled groan, she lifted herself off the mattress, to recline against the headboard. After brushing her tangled blue strands away from her face, she confirmed it was the hospital she was in. Her cot was beside the window, and across from her lay two prone figures. Despite most of her teammates' frames being tucked under blankets, she knew they were heavily bandaged even more than they were from the collar up.

The throbbing she felt from moving about was nothing to the way her heart hurt at the sight. Jet and Droy, her best friends and loyal companions, immobilized by the thrashing at the hands of the Phantom Lord wizard who'd confronted them. The boys had bravely jumped to her defense, but their opponent was simply too powerful for their numbers advantage to make any difference.

Levy shook her head, trying to keep from entering the haze of those memories. Instead, as she reached for the headband resting on the table next to her, she decided to combat the physical and mental pain by reliving some of the history of Team Shadow Gear.

**- 0 -**

_"You've got a new book every day, huh, Levy?" Droy asked as he came up to the bench where the blue-haired girl sat. As usual, Levy ignored the energy of the playground before her, opting to flip through the pages of her latest acquisition._

_She noted where she was about to leave off in her story, before turning to him with a sheepish smile. "I can't help it, the library just has so many books," she said. "I'd like to read them all if I can."_

_Droy nodded politely. He didn't share the same obsession with literature as the mousy Levy, but she was really cute, and figured it'd be best to agree. She was one of the reasons he came out to the park every afternoon, to find her immersed in a world told by black text and colorful pictures. The other reason, oddly, was still absent. "Jet hasn't gotten here yet?"_

_Levy shook her head, her neat curls swaying. "He's usually the first one here, too. I wonder what's keeping him?"_

_"Hey you guys!" an incoming voice called out to them. Looking around, they spotted the cloud of dirt being kicked up by the orange-haired boy as he rushed down towards them. Jet screeched to a halt, but continued jogging in place with a beaming grin. "So check this out! I ran into some kids outside of Fairy Tail on my way here, and guess what? They're wizards! They're our age, but they're already members of Fairy Tail! Isn't that awesome?"_

_The girl's eyes lit up at the thought, but Droy remained skeptical; Jet had a tendency to reach the wrong conclusion when he got really excited. "How do you know they're members? Maybe they're just some wizard's kids."_

_"Because!" he shouted, practically bouncing. "They showed me their guild marks! The girl had one on her waist, and a boy had one on his chest!"_

_"That's incredible," Levy said brightly, infected by his energy. It had been her dream to join the town's renowned Fairy Tail guild ever since she was a little girl, a wish that had influenced the two boys to want the same. She had begun teaching herself magic not long ago in preparation for the day she could walk to those doors and ask to become a member, expecting it to be years away. She never would've imagined it was a possibility at her current age. "Do you guys think they'd let us in if we asked?"_

_Jet nodded fervently, and Droy smiled at her enthusiasm. If that's what Levy wanted, there wasn't much resistance either of them would put up. "Let's go find out!" they said in unison._

**- 0 -**

_"Thank you very much!" the trio chorused after receiving their guild stamps from the benevolent Master Makarov. Even though Levy was the only one who had some degree of magic, he'd cheerfully welcomed the addition of the boys, on the condition that they begin studying as well. Because of this, they all decided to receive identical marks of Levy's choosing, white with an orange outline, on their left shoulder blade._

_"So what kind of magic are you guys interested in?" a man with spiky blue hair named Macao asked amiably. Some of the adults appeared wary of having more children join, especially when the pair they had already proved they could be a handful, but Macao and his friend Wakaba lead the wave of warm introductions._

_"I've been practicing Solid Script Magic for a little while now," Levy said, holding her book to her chest. The concept of words made up of what they described had enchanted her when she'd first heard of it._

_"My grandma would tell me the plants would come alive and attack me if I went into the woods in our backyard," Droy replied. "She wanted to scare me, but I always thought it sounded cool instead. I think I'll learn something like that."_

_"I just wanna go really fast!" Jet said, merrily running circles around his friends._

_Levy looked down bashfully at the attention they were drawing. She was slightly intimidated by the crowd surrounding them, unable to meet any of their curious gazes. The stares of the two dark-haired kids, Cana and Gray if she'd heard correctly, made her the most anxious. But, with Droy and Jet by her side, she was determined to keep from wilting. They'd always stuck up for her whenever anyone tried picking on her for reading at the playground, and now they were here to start the newest chapter in her life with her, as Fairy Tail wizards._

**- 0 -**

_Levy sauntered away from the table as Cana accepted her next challenger. It had been almost a year since she, Droy and Jet had become official guild members, and many things had happened during that frame. The trio had developed their chosen brands of magic with help from the veterans, steadily becoming competent under their tutelage. More children, orphans like Cana and Gray, had also been admitted into Fairy Tail; a girl with beautiful red hair, two sisters and a brother, and a boy claiming to have been raised by a dragon._

_And surely enough, Levy's confidence had been growing. She no longer meekly buried herself in books outside of her lessons; she quite enjoyed having conversations with the other kids, as wacky as they were at times. What brought her out of her shell the most, though, were the reviews from the older wizards, who proclaimed them versed enough to start taking on small jobs._

_However, she soon found that just because their seniors deemed them ready, clients wouldn't think the same. Most of the youngsters were regularly turned down whenever they tried accepting work, the decision based on their age and inexperience._

_Having lost out on a promising job, a dejected Levy had returned to the guild, hoping to be cheered up by her friends. Cana had invited her to play a board game, and summarily crushed her even more. The blue-haired girl suspected the reigning queen of games of having used some sort of divination to predict her moves, but it was basically a moot point; Cana had legitimately been running the table since before she'd learned any magic herself._

_The defeat still stung, and she figured to turn to the boys she'd joined the guild with, spotting them across the way. Jet was a livewire as usual, while Droy had his hands stuffed in his pockets._

_"I didn't get hired again," the Plant Wizard muttered at the floor._

_"Same here!" Jet nodded, rocking back and forth. "The Master said people aren't gonna trust in just one kid, so he suggested teaming up like Mira and her family! What do you say? Let's start a team!"_

_"I don't know if I want it to be just boys," Droy responded, watching Cana school Wakaba, her latest victim. Out of all the kids in the guild, she, Erza and Mira were regarded as the prodigies of the bunch. Aligning with one of them could greatly help their chances at finding work._

_Jet followed his thought process, but was staring in the other direction, at the girl walking towards them. "Then we'll ask Levy! Wouldn't that be cool?"_

_"Levy?" Droy frowned, turning to where eldest white-haired sibling was trying to taunt Erza into a fight. "She's great, but she's not very strong."_

_The slight gasp at his words got him to whisk around, seeing Levy standing behind them. Her lip was quivering, and her eyes had a sorrowful sheen to them. He immediately regretted what he'd said, but couldn't find his voice to apologize._

_Fortunately, Jet was there with a rare moment of clarity to smooth over the situation. "That doesn't matter, because she's super-smart! We'll be the muscles, and Levy will be the brains and the beauty! You get it? The three of us are perfect together! We'll be the best team in Fairy Tail!"_

_Levy wiped away the beads in her eyes, beaming at the comment. "I'll do it if you guys want me," she offered, Droy agreeing without any hesitation as before. She was touched to be wanted for such a grandiose vision, and she wondered why they didn't think of partnering up before._

**- 0 -**

_"You kids are just darling," the elderly woman cooed with a big smile, placing 1000 Jewel in each awaiting hand._

_As a unit, the newly-formed trio were able to convince the matronly owner of a bed-and-breakfast resort to help reinvigorate her flower garden. Levy carefully planned out their course of action, starting with a precise list of materials and supplies. Jet dashed around the city to collect the expediting nutrients in under half an hour, leaving the rest of the afternoon for Droy and his green thumb to direct them in preparing the rows._

_However, things took an unforeseen turn when the seemingly-friendly clouds rolled over the sun. The magical properties of the ingredients they'd selected needed a constant stream of solar energy to fully activate, otherwise they would be rendered ineffective. With quick thinking, Levy cast the word "SUNLIGHT" over the flower garden, illuminating the blossoming buds for the duration of the cloud coverage._

_"Thank you very much!" Levy and the boys cheered graciously. It had been a relatively simple job with meager pay, but it was their first as individuals, and as a collective. All of the best wizarding teams had humble beginnings, and they were elated to have been successful in their maiden outing. It was a great start that they could really build on._

_But, before they could continue on, they were going to need a name. "What should we call ourselves?" Jet asked as they entered the marketplace, looking to reward themselves for their hard work._

_They brainstormed as they looked around, but when Levy stopped commenting on their ideas, they turned around and saw her through the bookstore window. A minute passed before she stepped back out, happily holding on to a thin paperback. "It's the latest Sakura Hearts!" she gushed. "I had to have it!"_

_At her recommendation, Droy had picked up the series. He was mostly in it for the action sequences, but he found the flower symbolism fascinating once Levy had pointed it out to him. One group, a mysterious organization represented by black lilacs, thrilled the two whenever it was featured. And come to think of it, they had a really cool name, too. "How about 'Shadow Gear'?" he proposed._

_"That's so awesome!" Jet agreed, taking off for a victory lap around the square. He returned a second later to find Levy also in love with the moniker, and that was the moment it all fell into place. Their team was now officially Shadow Gear, and they were going to be the best._

**- 0 -**

_Over the years, Shadow Gear had established a positive reputation. They weren't a huge sensation like some of the other characters in their guild, but they were a trustworthy group that regularly avoided the type of collateral damage Fairy Tail was known for._

_That was actually part of Levy's design. Since none of the members had much combat specialization like Erza and Natsu, they didn't seek out many hazardous jobs that would involve a need to fight, and therefore prevented unnecessary destruction. But, as one particular mission had taught their petite leader, even the best laid plans weren't safe from going awry._

_The task itself went smoothly enough. They had completed their objective and were about to report back to the client, until the vacuum of wind from Jet's celebratory racing happened to fan Levy's "FIRE" spell. Droy's thick vines were quick to incinerate, and the flames spread so fast, their resident speed demon was left envious._

_"You know, it's actually quite beautiful," Levy said, watching the inferno from the top of a distant hill with Droy. Not that she would ever purposefully look to leave wreckage in their wake, but with this slip-up, it was almost as if Shadow Gear was finally let in on an inside joke that the rest of the guild had shared without them._

_"It is," Droy nodded. The night air was cool, the light from the blaze was radiant, and best of all, Jet had left them alone to alert the fire department. The opportunity was practically catered to him; he just needed to summon the courage to make his move. "I bet it looks even better to all those people out there in love tonight," he began softly._

_"So much for that," Levy couldn't help but scoff immediately, but was quick to revert to her signature cute politeness. "I'm pretty sure we just ruined everyone's evening. Sorry for killing the mood, people out there in love!"_

_After that, Droy understood that his 'beginning' was as dead as his charred plants._

**- 0 -**

_The next morning, Jet came across his chance to confess to Levy. Droy contacted him and said he wouldn't be heading up to the guild hall that day, on account of being suddenly and contagiously ill. Perhaps he didn't intend to contaminate his best friend with the unoriginal euphemism (although he probably would've if given the spiteful option), but the heartbreak bug would show no mercy to the other Shadow Gear boy._

_"Just you and me today, Levy," he chirped as he met her outside the Fairy Hills grounds, repressing his giddiness._

_"I hope Droy feels better soon," she lamented as they started down the path to their headquarters. Since becoming a team, there hadn't been a day where the three weren't assembled together. It was quite jarring to be without a third of their equation after all that time._

_"He'll probably be back before you know it," Jet shrugged, but his grin hid the fact he wished for Droy to take all the time he needed away from them._

_As they came up to the colorful building, they spotted Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy approaching from the opposite direction. "They must be getting back from a job," Levy said, noting the packs they were lugging along. Despite their tired expressions, they still appeared quite pleased to be in each other's company, causing Levy to sigh. "Aren't they just adorable?"_

_"They are," the High Speed Wizard agreed, adjusting his tall hat for what would be the most important moment in his life. "It's so weird to see how they're always together, but they're not an actual couple."_

_"As far as we know," Levy cut in playfully._

_Jet swooned inwardly. He'd always found her pretty; even as a young, hyperactive boy who couldn't keep his eyes trained on anything for an extended period, she'd always drawn his gaze in. But as they'd grown older and she'd come out of her shell, it was her charming zest that made his heart beat ten times a second._

_"Yeah," he gave a small laugh. "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if that's what people started thinking about us, with Droy being gone for awhile?"_

_"Funny?" Levy echoed, mulling it over for two seconds before breaking out into an oblivious smile. "Yeah, I guess it would be. I mean, the three of us are a team. We're all best friends."_

_And just like that, Jet departed in a blur, citing to be suddenly and contagiously ill._

**- 0 -**

_It would be two weeks before Shadow Gear would reunite. Droy and Jet had secretly met with one another before then, to discuss their epic failures at wooing Levy. Neither boy felt comfortable revealing their attempt to break male solidarity, but they could find some solace in the fact that neither got more than one line in before getting shot down._

_"So we're just gonna be Team Shadow Gear like we always have," Droy stated seriously._

_"If Levy never returns our feelings, then so be it," Jet concurred solemnly. "But if she does..."_

_"Then the loser can't try to keep her from being happy."_

_That was the deal, and Jet and Droy vowed to uphold it. Of course, it never stopped them from making subtle passes at the blue-haired girl whenever they could. As well-read as she was, Levy never did discern their romantic intentions, even as the rest of Fairy Tail had caught on when they were still preteens._

**- 0 -**

Darkness filled Levy's sight as she closed her eyes. Shadow Gear was truly a wonderful friendship, and it struck her that something so horrible would happen to them. She hadn't been prepared, and Jet and Droy hadn't been prepared, but ultimately it would've made little difference. They had fought as valiantly as they could, but the rugged and wild mage that assaulted them outclassed them severely.

Just as she thought she would need to reflect more on the better times, a nurse poked her head into the room. Her expression become even more ecstatic to see the girl, sitting in bed with her hair pulled back by the band.

She didn't have all the details at the moment, but the nurse informed Levy that they were all being summoned to Fairy Tail's base to help with the injured. There had been a mighty battle waged between her guild and Phantom Lord, but if Master Makarov's voice had been any indication as to who emerged as the winning side, Fairy Tail had come out on top with a staggering victory.

Levy looked over at her team, smiling as her eyes began to water. She would've liked to have believed that their ambush had motivated some part in their triumph, but for the moment, she didn't care so much about how to divide the credit. All she cared about was not having to dwell miserably on why they were left bedridden. All that matter now was that soon, there would be a new guild hall, filled with old friends already seated when she would walk in with the boys of Shadow Gear.

* * *

><p><em>I'd been wanting to write a Shadow Gear piece for some time, and I wanted to slot it somewhere before Gajeel joined Fairy Tail and threw a wrench into their dynamic (metaphorically, but he could probably do it literally, too). There's not too much lore to the team, so I hope I was able to adequately fill in some of the blanks. The power of fanfiction is a wondrous thing, folks.<em>

_And speaking of wondrous things, I also include reviews in that category. If you enjoyed, feel free to leave a comment!_


	6. Extra 6

_Welcome back, readers! So if you've seen the filler Key of the Starry Heavens arc, then I'm sure you're familiar with Lucy's cousin Michelle (if not, skip the rest of this paragraph to avoid spoilers). I fell in love with Michelle as soon as she was introduced, even though it was obvious things weren't as they seemed with her. So, I decided immediately that in my Fairy Tail world, she would be making an appearance as an actual relative of our leading girl!_

_This takes place after Chapter 16 in AI, so if you've read that, you should know by that ending it's more fluff again! Read on and enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Extra 6<br>- Wicked Lady, Let Me Pick You Up -**

"Michelle!" Lucy called as she spotted her cousin stepping out of the third train cart. It had been six years since they'd last seen each other in person, but there was no mistaking those golden blonde locks, or her signature prim fashion sense.

"Lucy!" Michelle responded brightly. She set her luggage on the ground, spreading her arms out to catch the girl jumping into her. They embraced for a few seconds, then pulled apart, remaining linked at the hands. "It's so good to see you again after so long!"

"I know!" she clamored. Michelle was the same as she remembered, a bundle of excitement trying to be overlaid with a ladylike demeanor. Now that they were both in their late teens, all that had changed about the sweet little girl was that she'd blossomed into a beautiful young woman. The two complimented each other accordingly, and Lucy began to lead them out of the station. "Come on, let's drop your stuff off at my place! Then I can take you to the guild!"

The two chatted of the highlights of their past six years apart on the way to the apartment, such as Lucy joining the guild of her dreams, and Michelle's up-and-coming acting career. The conversation, however, became mostly reminiscing of favorite memories from their youth together once arriving. Lucy's time spent with Michelle, whenever the Heartfilia and Lobster families would visit, had resulted in some of the fondest moments of an otherwise lonely childhood. Even though they'd discussed these topics at length through letters and lacrima, it was thrilling to relive them while actually being in each other's company.

"Aunt Layla always said I was like your little doll, the way you'd dress me up with flowers," Michelle said with a smile, nodding to the pair of frames on Lucy's desk. The one on the left was a peaceful portrait of her mother, while the right featured the girls sitting around a circle of daisies. They were costumed with an assortment of flowers, roses reserved to adorn their heads as crowns.

"I remember when that was painted. We tried for something like that a bunch of times, but we only sat still long enough once on the itchy grass for them to finish," Lucy said nostalgically. "So, you ready to head out?"

Michelle nodded cutely. "Of course! I can't wait to meet all of your friends! I'm sure they're not as crazy as you make them sound!"

"If only that were the case," Lucy mumbled as they exited her living space. She pointed to her favorite shops on the way to the guild hall, promising to show her around Magnolia after introducing her to the wacky world of Fairy Tail. As they reached the new headquarters they had just finished a few days ago, rebuilt with more splendor than ever before, they came across their first encounter.

"Hey, Gray," Lucy greeted at the dark-haired boy also arriving at the hall. He gestured at her in response, but his focus was obviously not on the blonde he was already familiar with. "I see you've already noticed my cousin, Michelle," she teased him, allowing his cheeks to turn even pinker.

"Hi," he said, carefully, as if he was trying not to stumble over that simple sound. He put out his hand for her to take, which she did with a curtsy.

"Oh, your hand is so cold," Michelle noted softly. Afraid that she might've potentially offended him, she gave him a lighthearted smile. "You really _are_ the ice mage I've heard so much about. I wouldn't have guessed, since you're fully clothed."

Gray stiffened. "You told her about that?!" he cried, frowning at his guildmate. He certainly didn't want to hear that this demure young lady already knew of his stripping problem. They'd just met, after all.

Lucy laughed nervously, but fortunately, Michelle didn't seem perturbed by his notoriety. "You can make anything out of ice, can't you? I heard it's a lovely practice to behold," she said happily. "Could I trouble you to show me a demonstration?"

Of course he was going to oblige her. Gray put his fist into his palm, releasing a bright light along with mist. He held out a frozen rosebud out to her, which she gingerly accepted as she smiled in thanks. "That's probably gonna melt soon," he said, glancing to and from her every other word. "Your hands are really warm."

Michelle beamed at him, while Lucy snickered at the usually-serious Gray showing off his more tender side. The mood was quickly ruined, however, by a faraway roar of fury. The three looked around momentarily, trying to find the source, but located nothing. They disregarded it with a shrug, and entered the hall.

They headed straight for the two tables near the back that had become their regular spot. The Strauss siblings, Natsu and Happy were already seated at the first, Gray taking a place at the second as the girls convened with the others.

"Everyone, this is Michelle," Lucy presented her cousin, who curtsied to the five. Mira, Lisanna and Happy all introduced themselves without making a scene, while Elfman slicked back his spiky hair and spoke as suavely as he could manage.

"Welcome to our guild hall," the large man bowed, before looking back to a smiling Michelle with gentle eyes. "We hope that you'll enjoy your time with us."

The Celestial Wizard raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure what bothered her more: Elfman's attempt to embody the Strauss's renowned appeal, or the fact that all she'd gotten from him when she first joined Fairy Tail was a grunt in acknowledgement. Whatever the case, she didn't think his greeting would be able to be topped - until Natsu's turn came.

"Wow... You're really pretty," he offered sheepishly. Everyone gasped in astonishment. The Dragon Slayer had never indicated an awareness of the opposite gender, remarkable considering the stunning young women he was often with. However, even if he hadn't verbalized being captivated by Michelle, it was summarily evident in the way his face took on a hue not unlike his hair.

"Did Natsu just compliment a girl?" Lucy blinked, unable to believe.

"This can't be real life anymore," Happy confirmed shakily as he held his head.

Mira nudged her little sister with a smirk. "He's cute when he's flustered, isn't he?" she whispered to Lisanna, who only rubbed her cheek nervously.

"That's very sweet of you to say," Michelle beamed at him, oblivious to how his confession had startled the rest of the tables. "You're all so kind. If I may ask, Natsu, what is that you're eating? It looks tasty."

"You like food?" he asked as if it was a marvel concept, looking even more impressed than before.

"I'm an excellent cook, Michelle," Elfman announced to reclaim her attention, just as the scarf-wearing boy was about to push his plate towards her. "A real man should know how to treat a lady to only the most exquisite meals prepared by his own hands. If you're hungry, I could fix something for you in the kitchens."

"Oh, no, I wouldn't want you to trouble yourself," she modestly declined, but the kitchen doors were already swinging after he'd charged into the back.

Lucy scratched her head at how bizarre the males were acting as her guest sat down at Gray's table. "Is Michelle really _that_ irresistible?" she asked the white-haired girls in a hushed voice, sounding quite wary of the reception she had received so far.

Mira turned to her with a scandalous glint in her eyes. "Lucy, you don't suspect your dear cousin of using Charm Magic, do you?" she grinned. "Well, I'll tell you right now she's not. If she was, I would've just broken the spell's effect, and I wouldn't keep feeling this urge to make her mine."

The blonde stared at her for a beat with her head tilted, just until Lisanna spoke up as well. "I do wanna give her a really big hug and not let go," she admitted with a small smile, causing Mira's smirk to grow surreptitiously. "She's just so adorable!"

"You said it," Cana agreed, silencing a Gray who had been working up his nerve to talk to Michelle again. She'd strode over from the bar, setting a half-empty mug on the table as she took a spot next to the girl in the pink dress. "Hey there, pretty lady. I'm Cana," she began playfully. "I know everyone's going ga-ga for you, but I gotta say it myself: you're a real peach."

"Thank you," she replied cheerfully. "I've heard a lot about you from Lucy, the beautiful and powerful Card Wizard who's been like a big sister to her. That makes you a sister to me, as well!"

"No way, thinking of you as family would be the worst," the brunette winked. "There is such a thing as _too_ naughty, you know." Michelle actually blushed at that, causing her to squeal in delight and pull her into a tight bearhug.

"Hey, quit hogging Michelle over there!" Natsu cried, unfortunately now the furthest from her. He seemingly caught what he was saying this time, and followed up with something he hoped was more in-character. "I mean, you can't just come in and get in her space like that! Can't you see it's making her uncomfortable?"

Cana stopped rocking with the golden-blonde, who didn't seem to mind her situation at all. "You're the last person who should lecture me on being able to see what girls want, Natsu," she pointed out coolly.

The fire mage growled as he jumped out of his seat. He didn't fully understand what she was getting at, but he recognized a fighting tone when he heard it. Cana summoned a hand of cards as she stood, prompting Gray to try to diffuse the volatile situation. "Are you two seriously gonna do this right now? Can't you at least _pretend_ to be civilized while Michelle is here?"

"That's right! A real man would-" Elfman started to intone, returning with a large gourmet platter in his hands, but he went livid upon seeing the dark-haired boy. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Gray?! Trying to seduce Michelle like that, and in front of everyone?! It's completely disgraceful and despicable!"

Gray looked down at himself, and saw the shirt he'd been wearing seconds ago littered on the ground. "I wasn't trying to do anything like that!" he barked with a blush as he picked it up, but he felt words wouldn't suffice to defend his respect in front of the girl. "Now chill out, before I have to make you!"

He and Elfman, as well as Natsu and Cana, all glowered at each other, their readied magic creating a tension in the air. "Oh, my!" Michelle smiled with clasped hands. "This is all so exciting!"

"Weirdness definitely runs in your family," Happy commented to Lucy. While she normally would've snapped back at him, she couldn't deny that Michelle always had been a bit of an oddball. Also, she couldn't forget that she herself had been glued with guilty fascination the first time she'd witnessed a Fairy Tail brawl.

Just before one of the four wizards could launch the first attack, a strict voice rang out. "What's all this commotion?" Erza demanded with hands on her hips as she walked up, the clinking of her armor pacifying the souls prepared for battle.

"Nothing!" Natsu and Gray chorused innocently as they hung their arms around their shoulders, mouths grimacing into fake grins. "Just a friendly conversation with Lucy's cousin!"

"That's right, she was supposed to arrive today," the redhead replied, before actually having seen the girl in question. When she did, she took one look at Michelle's warm smile of greeting, and immediately went up to her, radiating sparkles as her cheeks went rosy. "Such beauty... Absolutely resplendent!"

Michelle also flushed. "You're lovely, too," she said softly in admiration.

Erza's eyes were layered with a dreamy sheen at that. "It is the purpose of a knight to find a lady to swear their loyalty to, an honorable maiden for which their sword will dance in conquest," she recited poetically as she lowered to a knee, taking the girl's hands. "Fair Michelle, I beseech you, will you join Fairy Tail and grace me with your ladyship?"

Everyone around them went blank. "This can't be real life anymore," Lucy echoed the blue cat.

"That's a very generous invitation," Michelle smiled sadly, "but unfortunately, I don't know any magic."

"No matter, for I will make it my responsibility to teach you," the armored woman stated. "Together, we will become the most formidable duo in this guild. The ingenue and her champion, the storybook example given life to bring merriment to the land. This is the oath I will swear to you, if you will have me."

"Okay, I'm just gonna cut in here," Lucy interjected awkwardly. "I'd love to have Michelle be a part of the guild, too, but since she's not a wizard, that'd be a huge decision for her to make. It's not fair to ask her for an answer right now."

The realization hit Erza, who frowned at herself as she bowed to Michelle. "Of course. Forgive me for being so inconsiderate. Please, take as much time as you need."

With that, she retreated from the pack with her head hanging, mentally berating herself for having gotten so worked up over one of her fantasies (as perfect as it was set up, but that was no excuse). Meanwhile, the others were still taken aback by what had just transpired - except for two of the girls, who were desperately trying to contain themselves.

"Can anyone explain what all that was?" Gray asked, his mind too warped to notice he'd put his tee on backwards.

"Yeah, I got nothing," Natsu shrugged. He looked over at Mira and Cana, but they were too preoccupied to respond.

"Well, Erza _is_ quite the romantic," Lisanna tried to rationalize feebly, using what Levy had told her about the redhead's preferred reading material. "This kinda makes sense... kinda."

"How am I supposed to compete with a real man like Erza?!" Elfman dramatically bemoaned.

And that was all their seniors could take. Mira and Cana burst into wild laughter, drawing all eyes to them. "Little brother, you are just too much!" the eldest Strauss sibling cried as she held her midsection.

"Yeah, and Natsu was glorious!" Cana wiped away a tear from sliding down her face. "There's no way any of this would've been as good without you really selling like that, kid!"

Suddenly, the suspicious feeling Lucy had been feeling earlier hit her again with a vengeance. "Alright, seriously, what's going on here?" she asked with a frown.

"I suppose there's no use in hiding it anymore," Michelle smiled placidly at her. With the others' approval, she began from the top. "You see, a few days ago, Cana and Mira contacted me without you knowing. They told me how you said you'd warned me about how crazy the members of Fairy Tail were, so we came up with a little joke for you."

"You shouldn't have mentioned your cousin's background in theater," Mira smirked. "We knew we needed to have some fun with that to get you back. You think we're all crazy here? Well, we decided to show you just how right you are, by pretending to be immediately infatuated with Michelle to drive you up the wall."

"It was originally just gonna be the two of us," the brunette continued, "but Natsu and those ears of his found us out. It was actually the luckiest thing that happened to that point, since he was more than willing to help the cause. But, we like to think that if three's a crowd, then four's a party, so we went and recruited Elfman, too. Who would've guessed they had such good improv chops, right?"

Lucy looked over at the boys, slowly processing what was being explained to not just her, but some of the others around her. Natsu's fangs were revealed in a gleaming smirk, while Elfman puffed out his chest as his hair reverted to its upright condition. "So you guys weren't actually tripping over yourselves for Michelle?" she asked.

Mira let out a cute but devious giggle. "Ah, but that's where things started getting better and better. Just talking to Michelle over a lacrima, it was obvious people were gonna end up totally enchanted by her. When it came down to our actors - Cana and Elfman - I'm not even sure what was performance and what was genuine."

"Oh, you know I'm just a big tease," Cana smiled as Elfman tried to hide his blush. "And as for those out of the loop, well," she grinned over at Happy, Gray and Lisanna as she linked arms with Michelle, "you know this chica made you feel all bubbly inside!"

The youngest Strauss daughter knew it'd be pointless to try to deny a desire to glomp the golden blonde; she'd already disclosed the sentiment to Mira and Lucy. This only contributed to half of her blush, as the other half was for the knowledge that she wouldn't have to resign her best friend away.

Gray, however, figured he'd never live it down if he just rolled over and stayed quiet. "I was just being nice," he tried to answer seriously, but no one was convinced that it was only for the sake of politeness. "I mean, Michelle's a nice girl, and she's a guest, so what else was I supposed to do?"

"You're all truly wonderful," the visitor beamed at them as she started on the meal Elfman had brought her. "Ah! This is delicious!"

As the chef gave her an embarrassed, goofy grin, Lucy shook her head, hoping that the jumble in her brain would fall into place. "I was just kidding when I called you guys crazy - mostly," she said, exasperatedly muttering that last word. "You're not supposed to try to prove me right with some elaborate ruse, you know."

"Actually, that does sound like something a crazy person would do," Happy pointed out. "You've been here long enough to know not to expect anything less from Fairy Tail!"

"Sadly, you're right," the Celestial Wizard sighed, before looking back to the two masterminds. "Wait, what about Erza? Was she in on it, too?"

"Nope," they said in unison with huge smirks.

"So then, all that was just her?"

"Yep."

As if on cue, Erza reappeared from wherever she had sulked off to, wielding a wooden object with a square end. "Again, I would like to apologize to you, Michelle. I failed to take into account the fact that you might be living a fulfilling life of your own choosing already, so I shouldn't have been so pushy with my offer," she said, then lifted the object, flashing a reversed Fairy Tail emblem on the underside. "That said, in the case that you have already decided to stay with us, I brought along this stamp to present you an official guild mark."

Lucy sighed again, the only appropriate response she could muster. Michelle only continued to smile, while the rest of the members just watched the display, unable to turn away. The smiles that Cana and Mira were sharing were almost too big for their faces.

"Erza, you made this plan better than any of us would've thought was possible," the Card Wizard commended, raising her mug in a toast. "The ultimate showstealer."

"We really love you," the model nodded to her rival.

The redhead blinked at them. "Yes, I'm quite fond of all of you, as well," she answered, puzzled by their inside joke but going along regardless. She then turned back to Michelle, trying to keep her face neutral, but couldn't help the small tugging at her lips, or how her eyes were alight with hope.

"I thank you for asking, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline," she said with a bow. "Being a wizard with friends such as you sounds amazing, but I've always had aspirations of being an actress. The theater has always been my passion, and I would like to live out this dream of mine."

Erza practically swooned as soon as she heard this. "I also have a great passion for the theater!" she gushed, taking Michelle's hands as the two looked skyward. "Someday, then, the two of us will have to share a stage, and give a grand audience the performance of a lifetime!"

She reverently described the roses and praise they would receive, as all the others began to laugh kindly. It wasn't too often that the S-Class Wizard was this lively, but it was certainly a nice change of pace for her. And Michelle, well, they had no doubts that someone as spellbinding as her would rise to the top of her career field. If for whatever reason that wouldn't come to pass, however, there would be a spot at their tables for her at Fairy Tail.

**- 0 -**

"So what did you think?" Lucy asked later that night, after she and Michelle had returned to her apartment. "You had to have realized these guys were loony when they asked you to take part in their little game, but I bet you weren't expecting everything that happened."

"I was trained to stay on my toes. Not just as an actress; I had to take ballet lessons for a role once, too," Michelle smiled, delightedly popping tiny marshmallows into her mouth. "I think you're very lucky to have made your way to such a nice guild. I can tell you're very happy to be with them."

"Yeah," Lucy said, smiling. Before she could go into detail, the room was filled with an intense bright light that momentarily blinded the pair.

"So how come I missed out on all the fun earlier?" Loke asked as he leaned against his master with a grin. He rearranged his tie as he spotted Michelle, walking over to her with the smoldering look he'd become infamous for. "Well, hello there," he said, taking Michelle's hand and kissing it. "I guess you can make it up to me by letting me have some time to talk one-on-one with your cousin, Lucy?"

"As if!" she shouted, pointing at him with his gate key. "Go home, Loke!" The ladykiller wailed as he was returned to the Celestial World, Lucy sighing as Michelle giggled. "I'll have to properly introduce you to my spirits tomorrow. I've had enough crazy for one day."

"I'm very excited for tomorrow," Michelle smiled gleefully. "They promised me it'd be even more fun! I don't know how they'll be able to top themselves, but I'm looking forward to it!"

"I'm sure they'll manage," Lucy shuddered at the thought. "And as for Erza inviting us to Fairy Hills to spend the night..."

"I would love to take her up on that," she said, remembering when Lucy had written to her about her first experience there. "We could push the beds together so all three of us could fit! I wonder which one of us she'll cuddle with in her sleep?"

Lucy blushed at the memory, unable to hold back a smile. "We'll put her in the middle and find out."

* * *

><p><em>Oh, Michelle, how I adore you so. Best filler character ever. In any case, I hope you enjoyed all the wackiness in this edition, because I got a big kick in thinking it up. Erza and Natsu are very fun to write in comedic situations.<em>

_Thanks again for reading, guys. I shared my love for Michelle (well, Fairy Tail in general, but Michelle in particular) with you all, so it'd only be fair if you shared your love for me with a review, right?_


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